Libyan riot police fired tear gas to prevent angry crowds from storming the Saudi embassy over a Saudi prince's harsh criticism of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, witnesses said on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Thousands of people marched through Tripoli before converging on the embassy late on Saturday, hours after Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah called Gaddafi "an agent of imperialism" during a heated exchange at an Arab summit in Egypt. The Saudi leader added that Israel brought Gaddafi to power.

Witnesses said the crowd chanted stinging slogans against Abdullah, de-facto ruler of the Saudi kingdom. As tensions rose, police broke up the protest with a tear-gas barrage that injured several demonstrators.

The row at the Arab League summit erupted after Gaddafi attacked Saudi Arabia for hosting American troops as Washington prepares to attack League-member Iraq. (Albawaba.com)